The Josephson current in a diffusive superconductor/ferromagnet/superconductor junction with precessing magnetization is calculated within the quasiclassical theory of superconductivity. When the junction is phase-biased, a stationary current (without a.c. component) can flow through it despite the non-equilibrium condition. A large critical current is predicted due to a dynamically induced long range triplet proximity effect. Such effect could be observed in a conventional hybrid device close to the ferromagnetic resonance.
The Josephson current in the presence of a precessing spin between various types of superconductors is studied. It is shown that the Josephson current flowing between two spin-singlet pairing superconductors is not modulated by the precession of the spin. When both superconductors have equal-spin-triplet pairing state, the flowing Josephson current is modulated with twice of the Larmor frequency by the precessing spin. It was also found that up to the second tunneling matrix elements, no Josephson current can occur with only a direct exchange interaction between the localized spin and the cond…
We present a theoretical study of a Josephson junction consisting of two s-wave superconducting leads coupled over a classical spin. When an external magnetic field is applied, the classical spin will precess with the Larmor frequency. This magnetically active interface results in a time-dependent boundary condition with different tunneling amplitudes for spin-up and spin-down quasiparticles and where the precession produces spin-flip scattering processes. We show that as a result, the Andreev states develop sidebands and a non-equilibrium population which depend on the precession frequency an…
The ac Josephson effect in a ferromagnetic Josephson junction, which is composed of two superconductors separated by a ferromagnetic metal (FM), is studied by a tunneling Hamiltonian and Green's function method. We obtain two types of superconducting phase dependent current, i.e., Josephson current and quasiparticle-pair-interference current (QPIC). These currents change their signs with thickness of the FM layer due to the 0-$π$ transition characteristic to the ferromagnetic Josephson junction. As a function of applied voltage, the Josephson critical current shows a logarithmic divergence cal…
We study the Josephson current through a ferromagnetic trilayer, both in the diffusive and clean limits. For colinear (parallel or antiparallel) magnetizations in the layers, the Josephson current is small due to short range proximity effect in superconductor/ferromagnet structures. For non colinear magnetizations, we determine the conditions for the Josephson current to be dominated by another contribution originating from long range triplet proximity effect.
We theoretically investigate the magnetization inside a normal metal containing the Rashba spin-orbit interaction (RSOI) induced by the proximity effect in an s-wave superconductor/normal metal/ferromagnetic metal/s-wave superconductor (S/N/F/S) Josephson junction. By solving the linearized Usadel equation taking account of the RSOI,we find that the direction of the magnetization induced by the proximity effect in N can be reversed by tuning the RSOI.Moreover, we also find that the direction of the magnetization inside N can be reversed by changing the superconducting phase difference, i.e., J…
We theoretically propose a principle for precise measurement of oscillatory domain wall (DW) by a ferromagnetic Josephson junction, which is composed of a ferromagnetic wire with DW and two superconducting electrodes. The current-voltage curve exhibits stepwise structures, only when DW oscillates in the ferromagnetic wire. The voltage step appears at V = n(\hbar/2e)ω_DW with the fundamental constant \hbar/e, integer number n, and the DW frequency ω_DW. Since V can be determined in the order of 10^9 accuracy, the oscillatory DW will be measured more precisely than present status by conventional…
Coupling of Josephson-phase and spin-waves is theoretically studied in a superconductor/ferromagnetic insulator/superconductor (S/FI/S) junction. Electromagnetic (EM) field inside the junction and the Josephson current coupled with spin-waves in FI are calculated by combining Maxwell and Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equations. In the S/FI/S junction, it is found that the current-voltage (I-V) characteristic shows two resonant peaks. Voltages at the resonant peaks are obtained as a function of the normal modes of EM field, which indicates a composite excitation of the EM field and spin-waves in the …
AC Josephson current density in a Josephson junction with DC bias is spatially modulated by an external magnetic field, and induces an electromagnetic (EM) field inside the junction. The current-voltage ($I$-$V$) curve exhibits peaks due to the resonance between the EM field and the spatially modulated AC Josephson current density. This is called {\it Fiske resonance}. Such a spatially modulated Josephson current density can be also induced by a non-uniform insulating barrier and the Fiske resonance appears without external magnetic field. This is called zero-field Fiske resonance (ZFFR). In t…
We show experimentally and theoretically that there is a coupling via the Aharonov-Bohm phase between the order parameter of a ferromagnet and a singlet, s-wave, Josephson supercurrent. We have investigated the possibility of measuring the dispersion of such spin waves by varying the magnetic field applied in the plane of the junction and demonstrated the electromagnetic nature of the coupling by the observation of magnetic resonance side-bands to microwave induced Shapiro steps.
We investigate the interplay between ferromagnetic and superconducting order at the edge of a quantum spin Hall insulator. Using complementary analytical and self-consistent numerical approaches, we study a ferromagnetic Josephson junction and show how the direct coupling between magnetism and the superconducting U(1) phase gives rise to several unusual phenomena which distinguishes the present system from its non-topological equivalent. In particular, we demonstrate how the anomalous current-phase relation triggers supercurrent-induced magnetization dynamics and also study the spatial localiz…
We report the observation of a current-phase relation dominated by the second Josephson harmonic in superconductor-ferromagnet-superconductor junctions. The exotic current-phase relation is realized in the vicinity of a temperature-controlled 0-to-$π$ junction transition, at which the first Josephson harmonic vanishes. Direct current-phase relation measurements, as well as Josephson interferometry, non-vanishing supercurrent and half-integer Shapiro steps at the 0-$π$ transition self-consistently point to an intrinsic second harmonic term, making it possible to rule out common alternative orig…
Solid-state qubits have the potential for the large-scale integration and for the flexibility of layout for quantum computing. However, their short decoherence time due to the coupling to the environment remains an important problem to be overcome. We propose a new superconducting qubit which incorporates a spin-electronic device: the qubit consists of a superconducting ring with a ferromagnetic pi junction which has a metallic contact and a normal Josephson junction with an insulating barrier. Thus, a quantum coherent two-level state is formed without an external magnetic field. This feature …
We discuss the effects of thermal noise on the magnetic response of a lateral ferromagnetic Josephson junction with spin-orbit coupling and out-of-plane magnetization. The direction of the magnetic moment in the ferromagnetic layer can be inverted by using controlled current pulses. This phenomenon is due to the magnetoelectric effect that couples the flowing charge current and the magnetization of the ferromagnet. We investigate the magnetization reversal effect versus intrinsic parameters of the ferromagnet, such as the Gilbert damping and strength of the spin-orbit coupling. We estimate the…
We study dynamics of tunnel Josephson junctions with a thin ferromagnetic layer F [superconductor-insulator-ferromagnet-superconductor (SIFS) junctions]. On the basis of derived equations relating the superconducting phase and magnetic moment to each other we analyze collective excitations in the system and find a new mode which is a hybrid of plasmalike and spin waves. The latter are coupled together in a broad range of parameters characterizing the system. Using the solution describing the collective modes we demonstrate that besides the Fiske steps new peaks appear on the I-V characteristic…
We present a quantitative study of the current-voltage characteristics (CVC) of SFIFS Josephson junctions (S denotes bulk superconductor, F - metallic ferromagnet, I - insulating barrier) with weak ferromagnetic interlayers in the diffusive limit. The problem is solved in the framework of the nonlinear Usadel equations. We consider the case of a strong tunnel barrier such that the left SF and the right FS bilayers are decoupled. We calculate the density of states (DOS) in SF bilayers using a self-consistent numerical method. Then we obtain the CVC of corresponding SFIFS junctions, and discuss …
We propose a heat valve based on the interplay between thermal transport and proximity-induced exchange splitting in Josephson tunnel junctions. We demonstrate that the junction heat conductance strongly depends on the relative alignment of the exchange fields induced in the superconductors. Colossal magneto-heat resistance ratios as large as 10^7% are predicted to occur under proper temperature and phase conditions, as well as suitable ferromagnet-superconductor combinations. Moreover, the quantum phase tailoring, intrinsic to the Josephson coupling, offers an additional degree of freedom for…
We study the Josephson effect in graphene-based ballistic superconductor-ferromagnet-superconductor (SFS) junctions. We find an oscillatory Josephson coupling $I_c R_N$ of F graphene whose amplitude is nonvanishing for a half-metallic graphene, increases for the exchange fields $h$ above the Fermi energy $E_{F}$ and shows only a slow damping at strong exchange fields $h\gg E_{F}$. We interpret this long range Josephson coupling as the result of the exchange mediated Andreev-Klein process at FS interfaces which enhances the induced antiparallel-spin superconducting correlations in F graphene by…
We investigate the Josephson transport through a ferromagnetic oxide film, e.g., La$_2$BaCuO$_5$, theoretically. Using the recursive Green's function technique, we found the formation of a pi-junction in such systems. Moreover the 0-pi phase transition is induced by increasing the temperature. Such ferromagnetic-oxide based Josephson junctions may become an element in the architecture of future quantum computers.
We investigate the current-phase relation of S/F/S junctions near the crossover between the 0 and the pi ground states. We use Nb/CuNi/Nb junctions where this crossover is driven both by thickness and temperature. For a certain thickness a non-zero minimum of critical current is observed at the crossover temperature. We analyze this residual supercurrent by applying a high frequency excitation and observe the formation of half-integer Shapiro steps. We attribute these fractional steps to a doubling of the Josephson frequency due to a sin(2*phi) current-phase relation. This phase dependence is …
Via a direct coupling between the magnetic order parameter and the singlet Josephson supercurrent, we detect spin-wave resonances, and their dispersion, in ferromagnetic Josephson junctions in which the usual insulating or metallic barrier is replaced with a weak ferromagnet. The coupling arises within the Fraunhofer interferential description of the Josephson effect, because the magnetic layer acts as a time dependent phase plate. A spin-wave resonance at a frequency ws implies a dissipation that is reflected as a depression in the current-voltage curve of the Josephson junction when hbar ws …
In 2010, several experimental groups obtained compelling evidence for spin-triplet supercurrent in Josephson junctions containing strong ferromagnetic materials. Our own best results were obtained from large-area junctions containing a thick central Co/Ru/Co "synthetic antiferromagnet" and two thin outer layers made of Ni or PdNi alloy. Because the ferromagnetic layers in our samples are multi-domain, one would expect the sign of the local current-phase relation inside the junctions to vary randomly as a function of lateral position. Here we report measurements of the area dependence of the cr…
We study the effect of the interfacial transparency on the Josephson current in a diffusive ferromagnetic contact between two superconductors. In contrast to the cases of the fully transparent and the low-transparency interfaces, the current-phase relation is shown to be nonsinusoidal for a finite transparency. It is demonstrated that even for the nearly fully transparent interfaces the small corrections due to weak interfacial disorders contribute a small second-harmonic component in the current-phase relation. For a certain thicknesses of the ferromagnetic contact and the exchange field this…
The electrical and structural properties of Co40Fe40B20 (CoFeB) alloy are tunable with thermal annealing. This is key in the optimization of CoFeB-based spintronic devices, where the advantageously low magnetic coercivity, high spin polarization, and controllable magnetocrystalline anisotropy are utilised. So far, there has been no report on superconducting devices based on CoFeB. Here, we report Nb/CoFeB/Nb Josephson devices and demonstrate an enhancement of the critical current by up to 700% following thermal annealing due to increased structural ordering of the CoFeB. The results demonstrat…
Josephson junctions containing multiple ferromagnetic layers can carry spin-triplet supercurrent under certain conditions. Large-area junctions containing multiple domains are expected to have a random distribution of 0 or pi coupling across the junction surface, whereas magnetized samples should have uniquely pi coupling everywhere. We have measured the area dependence of the critical current in such junctions, and confirm that the critical current scales linearly with area in magnetized junctions. For as-grown (multi-domain) samples, the results are mixed. Samples grown on a thick Nb base ex…
Superconductor-ferromagnet (S-F) interfaces in two-dimensional (2D) heterostructures present a unique opportunity to study the interplay between superconductivity and ferromagnetism. The realization of such nanoscale heterostructures in van der Waals (vdW) crystals remains largely unexplored due to the challenge of making an atomically-sharp interface from their layered structures. Here, we build a vdW ferromagnetic Josephson junction (JJ) by inserting a few-layer ferromagnetic insulator Cr2Ge2Te6 into two layers of superconductor NbSe2. Owing to the remanent magnetic moment of the barrier, th…
We clarify the applicability of the quasistatic approximation used in Ref. [\onlinecite{VE}], where coupled spin and Josephson plasma waves have been predicted to exist in SIFS Josephson junctions. We show, contrary to the claim of the authors of Ref. [\onlinecite{Maekawa}], that this approximation is very accurate in realistic systems studied experimentally.
In the past year, several groups have observed evidence for long-range spin-triplet supercurrent in Josephson junctions containing ferromagnetic (F) materials. In our work, the spin-triplet pair correlations are created by non-collinear magnetizations between a central Co/Ru/Co "synthetic antiferromagnet" (SAF) and two outer thin F layers. Here we present data showing that the spin-triplet supercurrent is enhanced up to 20 times after our samples are subject to a large in-plane magnetizing field. This surprising result can be explained if the Co/Ru/Co SAF undergoes a "spin-flop" transition, wh…
Magnetotransport measurements were done on $\Nb/\Al_2Ø_3/\Cu/\Ni/\Nb$ superconductor-insulator-ferromagnet-superconductor Josephson tunnel junctions. Depending on ferromagnetic $\Ni$ interlayer thickness and geometry the standard (1d) magnetic field dependence of critical current deviates from the text-book model for Josephson junctions. The results are qualitatively explained by a short Josephson junction model based on anisotropy and 2d remanent magnetization.
It has been predicted theoretically that an unconventional odd-frequency spin-triplet component of superconducting order parameter can be induced in multilayered ferromagnetic structures with non-collinear magnetization. In this work we study experimentally nano-scale devices, in which a ferromagnetic spin valve is embedded into a Josephson junction. We demonstrate two ways of in-situ analysis of such Josephson spin valves: via magnetoresistance measurements and via in-situ magnetometry based on flux quantization in the junction. We observe that supercurrent through the device depends on the r…
The properties of Josephson junction including a ferromagnetic insulating layer are studied theoretically. The calculated current shows the anomalous dependence on the magnitude of the exchange interaction at the interface. The Josephson junction changes from 0-junction to $π$-junction with the increase of the magnitude of the exchange interaction.
We report on the fabrication of Nb/AlO_x/Pd_{0.82}Ni_{0.18}/Nb superconductor/insulator/ferromagnetic metal/superconductor (SIFS) Josephson junctions with high critical current densities, large normal resistance times area products, high quality factors, and very good spatial uniformity. For these junctions a transition from 0- to π-coupling is observed for a thickness d_F ~ 6 nm of the ferromagnetic Pd_{0.82}Ni_{0.18} interlayer. The magnetic field dependence of the π-coupled junctions demonstrates good spatial homogeneity of the tunneling barrier and ferromagnetic interlayer. Magnetic charac…
We study the Josephson transport in a high-Tc superconductor/ferromagnetic-insulator(FI)/high-Tc superconductor numerically. We found the formation of a pi-junction in such systems. More remarkably the ground state of such junction alternates between 0- and pi-states when thickness of FI is increasing by a single atomic layer. We propose an experimental setup for observing the atomic-scale 0-pi transition. Such FI-based pi-junctions can be used to implement highly-coherent quantum bits.
The concept of thermophase refers to the appearance of a phase gradient inside a superconductor originating from the presence of an applied temperature bias across it. The resulting supercurrent flow may, in suitable conditions, fully counterbalance the temperature-bias-induced quasiparticle current therefore preventing the formation of any voltage drop, i.e., a thermovoltage, across the superconductor. Yet, the appearance of a thermophase is expected to occur in Josephson-coupled superconductors as well. Here we theoretically investigate the thermoelectric response of a thermally-biased Josep…
We theoretically study the magnetism induced by the proximity effect in the normal metal of ferromagnetic Josephson junction composed of two $s$-wave superconductors separated by ferromagnetic metal/normal metal/ferromagnetic metal junction (${S}/{F}/{N}/{F}/{S}$ junction). We calculate the magnetization in the $N$ by solving the Eilenberger equation. We show that the magnetization arises in the ${N}$ when the product of anomalous Green's functions of the spin-triplet even-frequency odd-parity Cooper pair and spin-singlet odd-frequency odd-parity Cooper pair in the ${N}$ has a finite value. Th…
We present a quantitative study of the current-voltage characteristics (CVC) of diffusive superconductor/ insulator/ ferromagnet/ superconductor (SIFS) tunnel Josephson junctions. In order to obtain the CVC we calculate the density of states (DOS) in the F/S bilayer for arbitrary length of the ferromagnetic layer, using quasiclassical theory. For a ferromagnetic layer thickness larger than the characteristic penetration depth of the superconducting condensate into the F layer, we find an analytical expression which agrees with the DOS obtained from a self-consistent numerical method. We discus…
We calculate the current phase relation of a planar Josephson junction with a ferromagnetic weak link located on top of a thin normal metal film. Following experimental observations we assume transparent superconductor-ferromagnet interfaces. This provides the best interlayer coupling and a low suppression of the superconducting correlations penetrating from the superconducting electrodes into the ferromagnetic layer. We show that this Josephson junction is a promising candidate for an experimental ϕ junction realization.
We show that injecting nonequilibrium spins into the superconducting leads strongly enhances the stationary Josephson current through a superconductor-ferromagnet-superconductor junction. The resulting long-range super-current through a ferromagnet is carried by triplet Cooper pairs that are formed in s-wave superconductors by the combined effects of spin injection and exchange interaction. We quantify the exchange interaction in terms of Landau Fermi-liquid factors. The magnitude and direction of the long-range Josephson current can be manipulated by varying the angles of the injected polariz…
The Josephson current flowing through weak links containing ferromagnetic elements is studied theoretically under the condition that the quasiparticle distribution over energy states in the interlayer is spin-dependent. It is shown that the interplay between the spin-dependent quasiparticle distribution and the triplet superconducting correlations induced by the proximity effect between the superconducting leads and ferromagnetic elements of the interlayer, leads to the appearence of an additional contribution to the Josephson current. This additional contribution $j_t$ can be extracted from t…
We have measured a long-range supercurrent in Josephson junctions containing Co (a strong ferromagnetic material) when we insert thin layers of either PdNi or CuNi weakly-ferromagnetic alloys between the Co and the two superconducting Nb electrodes. The critical current in such junctions hardly decays for Co thicknesses in the range of 12-28 nm, whereas it decays very steeply in similar junctions without the alloy layers. The long-range supercurrent is controllable by the thickness of the alloy layer, reaching a maximum for a thickness of a few nm. These experimental observations provide stron…
We demonstrate the manifestations of the nonlinear features in magnetic dynamics and IV-characteristics of the $φ_0$ Josephson junction in the ferromagnetic resonance region. We show that at small values of system parameters, namely, damping, spin-orbit interaction, and Josephson to magnetic energy ratio, the magnetic dynamics is reduced to the dynamics of the scalar Duffing oscillator, driven by the Josephson oscillations. The role of increasing superconducting current in the resonance region is clarified. Shifting of the ferromagnetic resonant frequency and the reversal of its damping depend…
We study the Josephson effect of a $\rm{T_1 F T_2}$ junction, consisting of spin-triplet superconductors (T), a weak ferromagnetic metal (F), and ferromagnetic insulating interfaces. Two types of the triplet order parameters are considered; $(k_x +ik_y)\hat{z}$ and $k_x \hat{x}+k_y\hat{y}$. We compute the current density in the ballistic limit by using the generalized quasiclassical formalism developed to take into account the interference effect of the multilayered ferromagnetic junction. We discuss in detail how the current-phase relation is affected by orientations of the d-vectors of super…
We present ferromagnetic Nb/Al2O3/Ni60Cu40/Nb Josephson junctions (SIFS) with an ultrathin Al2O3 tunnel barrier. The junction fabrication was optimized regarding junction insulation and homogeneity of current transport. Using ion-beam-etching and anodic oxidation we defined and insulated the junction mesas. The additional 2 nm thin Cu layer below the ferromagnetic NiCu (SINFS) lowered interface roughness and ensured very homogeneous current transport. A high yield of junctional devices with jc spreads less than 2% was obtained.
Charge and spin Josephson currents in a ballistic superconductor-ferromagnet-superconductor junction with spin-triplet pairing symmetry are studied using the quasiclassical Eilenberger equation. The gap vector of superconductors has an arbitrary relative angle with respect to magnetization of the ferromagnetic layer. We clarify the effects of the thickness of ferromagnetic layer and magnitude of the magnetization on the Josephson charge and spin currents. We find that 0-πtransition can occur except for the case that the exchange field and d-vector are in nearly perpendicular configuration. We …
We study a diffusive superconductor--ferromagnet--superconductor (SFS) junction with in-plane ferromagnetic domains. Close to the superconducting transition temperature, we describe the proximity effect in the junction with the linearized Usadel equations. We find that properties of such a junction depend on the size of the domains relative to the magnetic coherence length. In the case of large domains, the junction exhibits transitions to the $π$ state, similarly to a single-domain SFS junction. In the case of small domains, the magnetization effectively averages out, and the junction is alwa…
We present novel low-T_c superconductor-insulator-ferromagnet-superconductor (SIFS) Josephson junctions with planar and stepped ferromagnetic interlayer. We optimized the fabrication process to set a step in the ferromagnetic layer thickness. Depending on the thickness of the ferromagnetic layer the ground state of the SIFS junction has a phase drop of either 0 or pi. So-called 0-pi Josephson junctions, in which 0 and pi ground states compete with each other, were obtained. These stepped junctions may have a double degenerate ground state, corresponding to a vortex of supercurrent circulating …
Charge and spin transport in a junction involving two triplet superconductors and a ferromagnetic barrier are studied. We use Bogoliubov-de Gennes wavefunctions to construct the Green's function, from which we obtain the Josephson currents in terms of the Andreev reflection coefficients. We focus on the consequences of a finite barrier width for the occurrence of 0-πtransitions and for the spin currents, and examine the appropriateness of the common δ-function approximation for the tunneling region.
We report the experimental observation of half-integer Shapiro steps in the strong ferromagnetic Josephson junction (Nb-NiFe-Nb) by investigating the current-phase relation under radiofrequency microwave excitation. The half-integer Shapiro steps are robust in a wide temperature range from T = 4 to 7 K. The half-integer Shapiro steps could be attributed to co-existence of 0- and pi-states in the strong ferromagnetic NiFe Josephson junctions with the spatial variation of the2 NiFe thickness. This scenario is also supported by the high-resolution transmission electron microscopy characterization…
We investigate superconductor/insulator/ferromagnet/superconductor (SIFS) tunnel Josephson junctions in the dirty limit, using the quasiclassical theory. We formulate a quantitative model describing the oscillations of critical current as a function of thickness of the ferromagnetic layer and use this model to fit recent experimental data. We also calculate quantitatively the density of states (DOS) in this type of junctions and compare DOS oscillations with those of the critical current.
The quasiparticles energy spectrum in clean ferromagnetic weak links between conventional superconductors is calculated. Large peaks in DOS, due to a special case of Andreev reflection at the ferromagnetic barrier, correspond to spin-splitt bound states. Their energies are obtained as a function of the barrier thickness, exchange field strength, and of the macroscopic phase difference $ϕ$ at the link, related to the Josephson current. In the ground state, $ϕ$ can be 0 or $π$, depending on the ferromagnetic barrier influence. Conditions for the appearence of the zero-energy bound states (ZES) a…
The fluxon dynamics in a long Josephson junction with a ferromagnetic insulating layer is investigated. It is found that the Josephson phase obeys a double sine-Gordon equation involving a bound pi fluxon solution, and the internal oscillations of the bound pair acting as a clock exhibit Lorentz reductions in their frequencies regarded as a relativistic effect in the time domain, i.e., time dilation. This is the complement to the Lorentz contraction of fluxons with no clock. A possible observation scheme is also discussed.
We have studied Josephson junctions with barriers prepared from the Heusler compound Cu$_2$MnAl. In the as-prepared state the Cu$_2$MnAl layers are non ferromagnetic and the critical Josephson current density $j_{c}$ decreases exponentially with the thickness of the Heusler layers $d_{F}$. On annealing the junctions at 240\degree C the Heusler layers develop ferromagnetic order and we observe a dependence $j_{c}(d_{F}$) with $j_{c}$ strongly enhanced and weakly thickness dependent in the thickness range 7.0 nm < $d_{F}$ < 10.6 nm. We attribute this feature to a triplet component in the superco…
I apply the recently developed formalism of generalized quasiclassical theory to show that using hybrid superconducting systems with non-collinear strong ferromagnets one can realize the Josephson junction between Berezinskii-type superconductors. The reported calculation reproduces main features observed in the recent experiment, namely the the slightly asymmetric double-slit Fraunhofer interference pattern of the Josephson current through the ferromagnetic vortex. The double-slit structure results from the spatially inhomogeneous Berezinskii state with the amplitude controlled by the local a…
Josephson tunnel junctions with the strong ferromagnetic alloy $\Fe_{0.75}\Co_{0.25}$ as the barrier material were studied. The junctions were prepared with high quality down to a thickness range of a few monolayers of Fe-Co. An oscillation length of $ξ_{F2}\approx 0.79\:{\rm {nm}}$ between 0 and $π$-Josephson phase coupling and a very short decay length $ξ_{F1}\approx 0.22\:{\rm {nm}}$ for the amplitude of the superconducting pair wave function in the Fe-Co layer were determined. The rapid damping of the pair wave function inside the Fe-Co layer is caused by the strong ferromagnetic exchange …
We studied the anomalous Josephson current appearing at zero phase difference in junctions coupled with a ferromagnetic trilayer which has noncoplanar magnetizations. A $π/2$ junction with an equilibrium phase difference $π/2$ is obtained under suitable conditions. The equilibrium phase difference and the amplitude of the supercurrent are all tunable by the structure parameters. In addition to calculating the anomalous current using the Bogoliubov-de Gennes equation, we also developed a clear physical picture explaining the anomalous Josephson effect in the structure. We show that the triplet …
We have investigated the classical phase dynamics of underdamped ferromagnetic Josephson junctions by measuring the switching probability in both the stationary and nonstationary regimes down to 350 mK. We found the escape temperature to be the bath temperature, with no evidence of additional spin noise. In the nonstationary regime, we have performed a pump-probe experiment on the Josephson phase by increasing the frequency of the junction current bias. We show that an incomplete energy relaxation leads to dynamical phase bifurcation. Bifurcation manifests itself as premature switching, result…
